Running backs remain the king of fantasy football. While it seems like there are more elite quarterbacks and wide receivers than ever before, the number of consistent, reliable running backs is dwindling. This makes it all the more important to value running backs in fantasy football. To help you with this, each week I’ll be looking at some backfields that stand out based on current trends or new information we’ve learned.

We had our first byes in Week 5 – a sign that the NFL season is flying by. Bye weeks are always an interesting variable in fantasy; You never want to base your draft strategy on this, but you could still start some seemingly random players in the next month or two. This has particularly serious implications at the running back position, as certain teams’ RB2s can be the ideal starting players during a particularly impactful bye week. With that in mind, let’s dive into some of my key takeaways and trends for the team to keep an eye on heading into Week 6.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Should this be Tank Bigsby’s backfield? The dynamic second-year defender has now passed starter Travis Etienne Jr. in all three games in which he played at least 15% of the snaps, and it’s not particularly close. Bigsby has 42 more rushing yards and 19 fewer runs than Etienne this season, which actually undervalues ​​him a bit – Bigsby was the most efficient running back in football this season.

Bigsby started Week 5 and ranked first in yards per attempt among running backs, yards after contact attempt and breakaway run percentage, then scored two electric scores from 65 and 19 yards in the Jaguars’ first win of the season to stay at the top of this statistic. Bigsby was faster than Etienne for the first time, playing 40% of the snaps while Etienne scored 39% of the snaps. Bigsby also saw runs from the 4- and 7-yard lines, while Etienne was not used at all on the goal line. Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson insisted after the game that Bigsby would not replace Etienne on the Jaguars depth chart, but actions speak much louder than words.

The only area Etienne is better than him in is passing, but Bigsby’s home run hitting ability still makes him a FLEX-level fantasy starter at worst. Proceed with extreme caution with Etienne, which I would describe as a game-scripted FLEX play.

Atlanta Falcons

Bijan Robinson has been a pretty big disappointment in fantasy so far. He has never broken 100 rushing yards in a game and is currently ranked RB21 overall. Many of us expected Robinson to see an uptick in volume to propel him into the top 10 fantasy rankings, but Robinson’s usage was actually pretty similar to his rookie season.

Robinson averaged 12.3 runs and 5.1 goals per game last season. In five games this season, he is averaging 13.4 carries and 3.8 targets. Robinson was particularly unproductive in the touchdown department, with only one total score. Tyler Allgeier continued to be regularly moved into the backfield, typically playing every third offensive snap. Allgeier has a higher yards per carry mark than Robinson, but failed to get into the end zone.

I’m a little concerned about Robinson’s fantasy value for the rest of the season. Typically, running backs must have at least one of the following three qualities to be successful in fantasy: bell-cow-level volume, high touchdown production, or strong passing. As it stands now, Robinson has none of that putting a rock-solid ceiling on him. He’s talented enough to play as an RB2, but I would lower your expectations for Robinson and wouldn’t mind trading him for a more productive but perhaps less popular player. As for Allgeier, I don’t think he’s ready to start due to his smaller role, but he should still be on the roster.

Washington commanders

We last checked in with the Commanders after Week 2, before we knew Jayden Daniels was the one. Daniels’ performance over the last few weeks would have been impressive for any quarterback, and it is unheard of for a newbie. The Commanders are easily the best offense in the league when it comes to EPA per play, and Daniels ranks first among quarterbacks when it comes to completion percentage above expectations.

Given their overall offensive production, Brian Robinson Jr. can be considered a top-15 running back, while Austin Ekeler is also capable of starting in PPR formats. B-Rob hasn’t been particularly efficient with his carries, but is often used in short-yardage situations and has scored four touchdowns in the last three games. Combined with double-digit carries per game, Robinson is an extremely safe player in this elite offense.

Ekeler, meanwhile, was productive on Sunday after missing Week 4 due to injury. He hasn’t scored more than eight runs in a game so far, but has used his opportunities far more efficiently than Robinson. Ekeler continues to impress through the air, averaging 38 yards per game. Daniels has been a boost for everyone on the Commanders’ offense, which could make Robinson and Ekeler some of the biggest draft steals of the season.

Las Vegas Raiders

It looks like Alexander Mattison is on his way to replacing Zamir White as the starting running back in Las Vegas. White missed Week 5 with a groin injury and Mattison went on to score a season-high 15 runs. Even though he was fairly ineffective with that volume, rushing for just 38 yards, Mattison was still more productive than White that year. White failed to rush for 50 yards in any game before his injury, although he averaged about 12 carries per game and also lost two fumbles. Mattison was also the Raiders’ first choice at the goal line, with two rushing touchdowns inside the 2-yard line this year.

It’s unclear how long White will be out with his injury, but I expect he will continue to play a subdued role once he returns. That means Mattison is a good FLEX starter and bye week replacement, while White should probably stay on your bench and is a potential candidate to be cut. I don’t have high hopes for Mattison’s chances since the offense as a whole is a mess, but he should see enough volume to get you through a tough week.

Fast hitters

• Chicago Bears: D’Andre Swift has turned his season around in the last two weeks with back-to-back top-five finishes, but I wanted to acknowledge Roschon Johnson’s rise to the RB2 spot. Johnson replaced Khalil Herbert as the primary defender behind Swift and ran for a one-yard touchdown after Swift failed to do so on Sunday. Johnson also scored late in the fourth quarter. He can be added to leagues in the same overall class as Tyler Allgeier or Zach Charbonnet this week.

• Minnesota Vikings: Aaron Jones was forced out of the Vikings’ Week 5 win with a hip injury. Jones has been out week-to-week with the injury, so it’s worth bringing Ty Chandler into the squad if he isn’t already – he had 14 appearances as Jones’ replacement on Sunday. It’s possible Jones won’t miss any action because the Vikings are on a bye this week, but I’d still be willing to spend 10-20% of my FAB on Chandler considering he’s leading the way in a strong offense.

• Miami Dolphins: De’Von Achane left the Dolphins’ game in the first quarter with a concussion. The Dolphins also have a bye in Week 6, so I expect Achane to be out after that, but Raheem Mostert would be a top-24 player if Achane’s injury was more serious. Jaylen Wright is also worth a look in deeper leagues, as Mostert already missed some time earlier in the year due to injury.